Lindsay Roberts
I once had a little puppy; part Pekingese and part Poodle. He was so persistent! I remember a time when he got hold of an exposed tree root, and I watched him as he pulled on it. I admired his tenacity. I thought, Bless his heart, he thinks he can move that whole tree! Before he was finished, he had that small root pulled right out of the ground. He even pulled the root loose from the tree!
Watching him reminded me of when my mother used to say, “Lindsay’s like a puppy to a root.” I’d say, “What does that mean?” I learned it means that like a puppy to a root, when you grab on to something with your faith, you don’t let go until you are successful in achieving what you’re striving for. Even when adversity comes and you don’t see immediate results, you hold on and you don’t give up.
James 5:16 describes tenacious prayer. It says, The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. An effectual prayer is one that is “continual, heartfelt, and powerful.” Fervent means “red-hot, with intensity.” A righteous man is “a person who is in right relationship with God, who knows God’s Word and is living in obedience to it.” That kind of prayer avails much. It does the work it’s supposed to do.
When you pray according to James 5:16, with a tenacity like my puppy had, you can be confident that God is at work in your life.
